Does Drafting Kyrie Irving Present Problems?

If Kyrie Irving is the No. 1 overall choice for the Cavs, that speaks volumes about two primary things concerning the team and the draft. First, it insinuates the team is committed to a long-term rebuild that ignores the present value they currently possess on their roster — current point guards be damned. That might not mean a fun team to watch this year, but it also means the Cavs aren’t interested in mediocrity.

The cited article addresses some of Chad Ford’s concerns that Irving will not be selected at number one because the Cavaliers already have Ramon Sessions and Baron Davis. This strikes me as pre-draft chatter that doesn’t amount to much. If drafting Kyrie Irving means Ramon Sessions has to ride the bench or find a new team, I think every Cavs fan is at peace with that.

Since the Cavs only have 2 real pieces in place (Andy and JJ), I’m not sold that Irving is the long term answer. Unless he projects to be as good as Chris Paul or Deron Williams, I’d rather pick Williams at 1 and take Knight at 4.

We are likely taking Irving – NOT Done. Kanter continues to impress, he could continue to climb his way to be a legit #1. Williams is always a possible pick too. So, nothings done yet, regardless of how likely we may THINK.

I like The Nupe’s thinking. Trade Kyrie for the #2 and the rights to Rubio (throw in Manny Harris and a #2 to make them happy). Take Kanter at 2, then take Knight or Williams at 4. I realized that Kanter probably goes 2 or 3, and having Knight the only other player at 4 makes no sense when we have Kyrie.

Yes, please commit to a long-term rebuild and please ignore the present value this roster currently possesses.

And I just don’t see why people would think Knight is a better talent than Irving, or even comparable. What does he do better? What physical advantage does he have? The only thing I can see is wingspan. Both are described as solid, but not phenomenal athletes. And Irving is taller, a better shooter, and a better playmaker.

The sample size for Irving’s breathtaking numbers may be small, but on the flip side Knight’s sample size was big enough that we can be sure he is not a natural playmaker. Who wants to use a top 5 pick on a scoring point guard who lacks special athleticism? Irving impressed a lot of people with his play, but it’s not like he came out of nowhere. He was supposed to be a top prospect. And for the defending champions (who already had Nolan Smith) to give a freshman such an important role from day one, you can be sure he deserved it (and earned it decisively in training/preseason).

What are the alernatives to Irving? Kantor? He will probably be there at four and I don’t think Irving will be. Williams. Cleveland has suffered with one young power forward, Hickson, trying to learn the NBA. Why start over with Williams?

And just let Davis play shooting guard. He would be an upgrade and Cleveland can look for a 2 or a 3 next year when Jamison’s contract comes off the books.

I think that the lack of stories and starpower in this year’s draft are making people think way too much. Byron Scott is committed here and the organization seems committed to him. Irving is the pick at #1. Unless he breaks his hip in workouts…it is DONE.

They aren’t trading to get Rubio’s rights or any of that BS. No one wants a bench player like Manny Harris.

The Cavs want to add talent this year that they think will get them on the way to a championship in a few years.

I think Kanter will be there at #4. The Cavs will be take Irving at the top and look to Kanter / Valanciunas for the next pick…all the while working the phones to get more for the TPE.

If it weren’t for the “one and done” rule, Irving would have likely been a top 5 pick last year as John Wall was the only comparable PG prospect, and Irving was already a top-3 prospect coming out of high school as a PG. He then went on to show that he can play at a high level in college as well (although he DID miss time to injury).

If there are no red flags in the medical exams, there’s no reason for a rebuilding team NOT to take him. Unless we think there’s a better PG prospect in next-year’s draft…

Besides, unless someone trades up I still think it’s possible to get Williams at the #4 pick. Minnesota may be dumb, but do you really think they’ll take *another* 3/4 guy? Most of their roster now is PG’s and 3/4 players. Utah could look at him, but I still think that they would rather develop Favors. Plus, if they don’t think Devin Harris is the answer at PG, they may pick up Knight to develop behind him and play off the bench.

If Irving played the whole season he would be far and away the #1 pick. If the medical staff clears the toe, he should be the #1 pick without a doubt. He would have to turn into Tom Dempsey for us not to take him.

There is no way that the Cavs trade down for Rubios rights – unless they have another trade set up to trade his rights to the Knicks or someone. Rubio can be described as a poor man’s Rondo that can’t defend. And a Rondo who can’t defend or shoot is a worse alternative to Irving or Knight. Plus, I know it’s hard to compare stats in spain to NBA and try to tell how good a player can be, but it’s not like Rubio is really that ‘elite’ in spain. He has great handles and is a clear pass first type guy (which I like and is needed in a PG) but he’s weak on defense and doesn’t finish well. All these things Irving (and Knight) do better.

Just to straighten a couple Wolves-related things out: First of all, David Kahn is 100% not trading the rights to Rubio (who unfortunately seems increasingly unlikely to come over next year if there is a lockout, anyway). Kahn has too much of his reputation tied into Rubio succeeding to ditch him. Also, multiple sources say that the Wolves organization thinks Rubio is a better prospect than Irving, 3 pt shooting be damned. Rubio’s rights are not for sale.

Less importantly, Rubio projects to be a pretty tough defender. He still gambles too much and needs to work on his strength, but he is big, long, and (yes) Rondo-esque in his determination to get his hands on the ball whenever possible. He did well against the US team studs (CP3, Deron Williams) when Spain played the US in the Olympics, and that was when he was REALLY young. There are plenty of things to dislike about Rubio, primarily his atrocious shooting %s, but he’s not a bad defender.

Finally and most pathetically, is it bad that I think Manny Harris could really help the Wolves at the 2?

The Lineup: (Click for Author’s Archive)

Nate Smith is an Associate Editor. He grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and moved to NE Ohio in 2000. He adopted the Cavs in 2003 and graduated from Kent State in 2009 with a BA in English. He can be contacted at oldseaminer@gmail.com or @oldseaminer on Twitter.

Tom Pestak is an Associate Editor. He's from the west side of Cleveland and lives and (mostly) dies by the success and (mostly) failures of his beloved teams. You can watch his fanaticism during Cavs games @tompestak.

Robert Attenweiler is a Staff Writer. Originally from OH, he's long made his home in NYC where he writes plays and screenplays (www.disgracedproductions.com) some of which end up being about Ohio, basketball or both. He has also written for The Classical and the blog Raising the Cadavalier. You can contact him at rattenweiler@gmail.com or @cadavalier.

Benjamin Werth is a Staff Writer. He was born in Cleveland and raised in Mentor, OH. He now lives in Germany where he is an opera singer and actor. He can be reached at blfwerth@gmail.com.

Cory Hughey is a Staff Writer. He grew up in Youngstown, the Gary, Indiana of Ohio. He graduated from Youngstown State in 2008 with a worthless telecommunications degree. He can be contacted at theleperfromwatts@yahoo.com or @coryhughey on Twitter.

David Wood is our Links Editor. He is a 2012 Graduate of Syracuse University with an English degree who loves bikes, beer, basketball, writing, and Rimbaud. He can be reached on Twitter: @nothingwood.

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John Krolik is the Editor Emeritus of Cavs: The Blog. At present, he is pursuing a law degree at Tulane University. You can contact him at johnkrolik@gmail.com or @johnkrolik.

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